Rail clamp



y 1943- v w. CHIDESTER 2,324,134

RAIL CLAMP Filed March 26, 1941 lllill 1 N VE N TOR MAL/14M h. 09/055752 ATTORNEYS Patented July 13, 1943 RAIL CLAMP William H. Chidester, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Jacob K.

Ohio

Snyder, Cleveland,

Application March 26, 1941, Serial No. 385,288

8 Claims.

This invention relates to fastenings for railway rails and more particularly to an improved construction for rail clamps.

An object of my invention is to provide a resilient rail clamp of a relatively simple form which can .be economically manufactured and which, when embodied in a rail fastening, will effectively prevent upward movement of the rail relative to the tie-plate and tie.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved clamp of this character of a construction which will permit it to be shifted into or out of position under the head of a partially driven spike by movement transversely to the rail, but which is adapted to yieldingly exert a desired clamping pressure on the rail and to be securely held against accidental withdrawal or turning when the spike is driven down.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction With the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing a rail fastening utilizing one form of my improved clamp;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the clamp;

Fig. 3 is an edge View of the clamp showing the same in its released condition;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing another form of my improved rail clamp;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view showing the clamp of Fig. 4: embodied in a rail fastening;

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing still another embodiment of my rail clamp; and

Fig. 7 is an elevational view showing the clamp of Fig. 6 embodied in a rail fastening.

Further reference will now be made to the drawing for the purpose of describing the construction and use of my improved rail clamps more in detail. It should be understood, of course, that the particular forms of rail clamps herein illustrated are by way of example and that my invention includes various other forms or embodiments of these devices which come within the terms of the appended claims.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I show a rail clamp H) of my improved construction embodied in a fastening for the railway rail l which is of the usual type having a flanged base i2 resting on a rail plate l3. The rail plate may be of the usual type adapted to rest on a tie I l and having upstanding shoulders i5 spaced to engage the opposite edges of the flanged base iii of the rail. The tie-plate may also have appropriately located openings l6 therethrough to accommodate headed fastening members or spikes such as the screw spike I! shown in this instance. The spike here shown has a screw portion I8 adapted to penetrate the tie l4 and a head l9 overlying the clamp Iii. The head of the spike may be formed with a circular washer portion 19a providing a clamping face l9?) for engagement with the clamp is? and a squared or non-circular portion i530 adapted to be engaged by a suitable wrench or the like for screwing the spike into or out of the tie.

The clamp l5) comprises an elongated resilient metal plate having a bearing portion 2| at its outer end engageable with the tie-plate l3 and a bearing portion 22 at its inner end adapted to overlie a flange of the rail base H2. The clamp is provided with a longitudinal slot 23 adapted to accommodate the stem of the spike I1 and opening through the inner end of the clamp so as to permit the same to be inserted under, or withdrawn from beneath, the head of a partially driven spike by endwise lateral movement of the clamp toward or away from the rail. As willbe seen from Fig. 2 the slot 23 opens through the inner end of the clamp dividing the bearing portion 22 into two spaced sections or fingers 22a and 22b and extending longitudinally of the clamp .for somewhat more than one-half of its length so that when the clamp is in its proper position under the head l9 of the spike H, such head will bear against the middle section of the clamp.

The bearing portion 2! at the outer end of the clamp may be formed by deflecting or curving the end portion of the plate downwardly or downwardly and inwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, so that when this portion of the clamp bears against the tie-plate l3, the middle section of the clamp against which the head of the spike ll bears, will be spaced above the tie-plate and will be capable of being sprung or deflected by the clamping pressure of the spike. The bearing portion 22 at the inner end of the clamp may be inclined slightly upward, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to conform to the inclination usually provided on the top face of the flanged base 12 of the rail. The inner end of the plate may extend beyond the bearing portion 22 and may be bent upwardly and outwardly so as to form the reversely bent or doubled portion 24. This doubled portion may have a fiat section 25 thereon against which the underside I9b of the head l9 seats and such doubled portion is adapted to be sprung or drawn down by the spike into a closed position in face-to-face engagement with the upper surface of the main body of the clamp. shown in Fig. 2 the slot 23 also extends through the reversely bent section 24 dividing the same into the two fingers 24a and 26b which straddle the spike H.

To prevent the clamp Ill from shifting outwardly from beneath the head IQ of the spike I1, I provide one or more shoulders on the upper side of the clamp in a position to engage the edge of the washer portion |9a of the spike at the side thereof nearest the rail. In this instance I show a pair of such shoulders 26 formed on the fingers 24a and 24b of the reversely bent section 24 and located thereon at a point to be engaged by the washer portion |9a of the spike. These shoulders can be provided in various ways but are preferably formed by suitably bending or deflecting the fingers 24a and 24b. As just indicated above, the shoulders 24 serve as a stop for preventing the clamp from being easily or accidently withdrawn or displaced laterally from beneath the head of the spike during such times as the spike applies pressure to the clamp.

It is also desirable that the clamp Ill be held against turning about the spike I1 and for this purpose I may provide the clamp with depending bearing elements 28 on the underside thereof which bear against the flange l of the tie-plate l3. The bearing elements 28 may be formed by downwardly drawn or deflected portions of the body of the clamp, as shown in Fig. 1, and may be located adjacent the side edges of the clamp so that the points of engagement with the flange I5 of the tie-plate l3 will be spaced relatively wide apart longitudinally of the rail and thus afford greater resistance to turning of the clamp about the spike H,

In applying the clamp H] to the rail II the spike I! may be screwed part way into the tie l4 through the hole N3 of the tie-plate. The clamp may then be slid laterally onto the spike beneath the head l9 thereof so as to bring the bearing portion 22 into overlying relation to the flanged base of the rail. At this time the clamp is in an expanded or released condition and occupie the relative position shown in Fig. 3. The spike IT is then tightened down by being screwed further into the tie |4 causing the clamp to be sprung or deflected to its closed condition shown in Fig. 1 in which the bearing portions 2| and 22 press against the tie-plate and rail flange respectively and the bearing elements 28 bear against the flange I5 of the tie-plate.

If it should be desirable to remove the rail l, as when it is to be replaced by a new rail, it is only necessary to partly unscrew the spike l1 and to withdraw the clamp Ill laterally from beneath the head I 9.. When this has been done the rail can be readily lifted off of the tie-plate I3 and the new rail substituted in its place after which the clamp can be replaced and the spike I! again screwed down to close the clamp.

With rail clamps of the construction which I have just described, it will be seen that there is little likelihood of the clamp Ill becoming accidently dislodged from beneath the head of the spike and, moreover, if the spike should become partially loosened the clamp will spring to its open condition shown in Fig. 3 which can be readily detected by a track walker who can easily correct the faulty condition by again screwing the spike ll into the tie.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I show another form of my resilient rail clamp which embodies many of the features already described. The modified clamp 30 shown in Figs. 4 and 5 also comprises an elongated plate which is provided with a longitudinal slot 3| to accommodate the stem of the screw spike 32 and has bearing portions 33 and 34 at its outer and inner ends adapted to bear respectively on the tie-plate 35 and the rail flange 36. The bearing portion 34 may be formed by bending the inner end of the plate downwardly and outwardly in reverse or doubled relation, as shown in Fig. 5. The longitudinal slot 3| opens through the inner end of the clamp, as shown in Fig. 4, and divides the bearing portion 34 into spaced sections or fingers 34a and 341).

To prevent withdrawal of the clamp from beneath the head 32a of the spike 32, I construct the body of the clamp with offset portions providing upstanding shoulders 31 which engage such head on the side thereof nearest the rail, as shown in Fig. 5. Turning of the clamp about the spike may be prevented by bearing elements 38 depending from the underside of the clamp and which engage the upstanding shoulder or flange 39 of the tie-plate 35. The depending bearing elements 38 may be formed by curving 0r deflecting the ends of the fingers or sections 34a and 34b downwardly, as shown in Fig. 5.

The clamp 30 is shown in its closed or fully applied position in full lines in Fig. 5, while the broken lines 40 show the open or released condition of the clamp. In applying the clamp 30 to the rail, the spike 32 may be screwed part way into the tie and the clamp then applied to the spike by sliding the same laterally under the head 32a thereof after which the spike is screwed fully into the tie and the shoulders 31 thereafter prevent accidental withdrawal of the clamp.

In Figs. 6 and '7 I show another rail clamp 4| embodying certain of the features already described but which is of relatively simpler construction. The clamp 4| comprises an elongated single-thickness resilient plate having a hearing portion 42 at its outer end adapted to bear on the tie-plate 43 and a bearing portion 44 at its inner end adapted to overlie the rail flange 45. The clamp has a longitudinal slot 46 therein which accommodates the stem of the screw spike 47 and opens through the inner end of the clamp dividing the bearing portion 44 into fingers or sections 44a and 4417.

To prevent withdrawal of the clamp from beneath the head 48 of the spike I provide the upstanding lugs or shoulders 49 located on the upper side of the clamp so as to form a stop which engages the head 48 on the side thereof nearest the rail. The lugs 49 may be integrally connected with the sections 44a and 44b and may be provided by leaving the ears 490. on these sections during the blanking or stamping of the slot 46 and thereafter bending or deflecting such ears upwardly to form the upstanding lugs or shoulders.

To prevent turning of the clamp about the spike 4'! I provide the clamp with spaced bearing elements 50 which depend from the underside thereof and bear against the flange or shoulder 5! of the tie-plate 43. The bearing elements 5!] may be formed integral with the body of the clamp by bending or deflecting portions thereof downwardly. These bearing elements are preferably located at or adjacent the side edges of the clamp, as shown in Fig. 6, so as to engage the flanges 5| of the tie-plate at relatively widely spaced points.

The clamp 4| while in its released condition, as represented by the broken line 52 of Fig. '7, may

be inserted laterally beneath the head 48 of the partially driven spike after which the spike is driven fully into the tie thereby springing or deflecting the clamp downwardly to its full line position and causing its bearing portions to press against the tie-plate and rail flange.

Tom the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing it will now be readily understood that I have provided an improved rail clamp construction affording a rail fastening which will be a resilient or yieldable nature but which will nevertheless securely hold the rail against accidental displacement. Rail clamps of my improved design also effectively prevent rail creeping and tie pumping. It will be seen furthermore that when a rail is to be removed or replaced this can be readily accomplished by merely loosening the spikes a sufficient amount to permit the clamps to be withdrawn from beneath the heads of the spikes and replaced after i the new rail is in position. It will also be seen that by reason of the construction embodied in my improved clamp accidental loosening of a spik can be readily detected at a glance by a track walker. be inserted into position or removed therefrom by sliding the same under the head of the spike makes it unnecessary to remove or redrive spikes after the initial driving thereof, and this will materially contribute to a longer life for the ties because there will be no open spike holes left in the ties through which the elements can penetrate and cause rotting. Additionally it will be seen that the design of the above described rail clamps is such that when the clamps are used with only one spike on each side of the rail a fastening is obtained in which the rail, rail clamp, tie-plate and tie are all resiliently held together.

While I have illustrated and described my improved rail clamp construction in a more or less detailed manner, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited to the particular details and arrangements herein disclosed, but regard my invention as including such changes and modifications as do not constitute a departure from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a rail fastening, the combination with a tie and a tie-plate adapted to receive a rail thereon and having an upstanding shoulder adapted to be engaged by an edge of the rail flange, an elongated resilient clamp for holding the rail in place on said tie-plate and having a slot extending lengthwise thereof and opening toward the rail, and headed fastening means extending through said slot and into the tie for drawing the clamp toward the tie-plate, said clamp comprising a single-thickness metal plate having end bearing portions one of which bears against the tie-plate and the other of which bears against the rail flange, the clamp also having integral upstanding shoulder means on the upper side thereof and located adjacent the edges of said slot and at an intermediate point of the slotted length of the clamp so as to be engageable with the head of the fastening means for preventing endwise lateral displacement of the clamp from beneath said head, said clamp being also provided adjacent its side edges with depending integral shoulder means engageable with said upstanding shoulder of the tie plate to prevent turning movement of the clamp relative to the rail.

2. A fastening means for rails comprising a re- The fact that my rail clamp can rail engaging end toward the center thereof and adapted to receive the shank of a fastening member and providing two arms for engagement with the base of the rail, the ends of said arms being bent upwardly and forming stops for engaging the head of the fastening member and a downwardly depending flange at the opposite end of the plate arranged to rest on the tie-plate.

3. In a rail fastening, the combination of a tieplate adapted to receive a rail thereon and having an upstanding shoulder adapted to be engaged by an edge of the rail flange, an elongated resilient clamp for holding the rail in place on said tie-plate and having a slot extending lengthwise thereof and opening toward the rail, and headed fastening means extending through said slot for drawing the clamp toward the tie-plate, said clamp having end bearing portions one of which bears against the tie-plate and the other of which bears against the rail flange, the clamp also having integral shoulder means on the upper side thereof for preventing lateral displacement from beneath the head of the fastening means and having spaced depending integral bearing portions on its underside engageable with said upstanding shoulder of the tie-plate at correspondingly spaced points to prevent turning movement of the clamp relative to the rail.

4. A rail clamp for use with a tie and a tieplate having an upstanding transverse shoulder, comprising a resilient metal plate having an opening therethrough adapted to accommodate the stem of a headed fastening member of the kind which extends into the tie, said clamp having bearing portions at opposite ends engageable respectively with the tie-plate and the rail flange and also having downwardly deflected integral portions providing bearing elements depending from the underside thereof and located on onposite sides of said opening and inwardly of one end of the clamp for bearing engagement with said upstanding transverse shoulder of the tieplate to prevent turning of the clamp about said fastening member.

5. A rail clamp for use with a tie-plate, comprising a resilient metal plate having a longitudinal slot opening through one end thereof and adapted to accommodate the stem of a headed fastening member, said clamp having bearing portions at opposite ends engageable respectively with the tie-plate and the rail flange and also having downwardly deflected integral portions providing bearing elements depending from the underside thereof and located on opposite sides of said slot and inwardly of said one end for bearing engagement with the tie-plate to prevent turning of the clamp about said fastening member, and integrally formed means providing retaining shoulders on the upper side of the clamp and located on opposite sides of said slot and inwardly of said one end for engagement with the head of said fastening member.

6. A rail clamp for use with a tie and a tieplate having an upstanding transverse shoulder, comprising a resilient metal plate having an opening therethrough adapted to accommodate the stem of a headed fastening member of the kind which extends into the tie, said clamp having bearing portions at opposite ends engageable respectively with the tie-plate and the rail flange and also having downwardly deflected integral portions providing depending convex bearing elements adjacent the side edges and inwardly of one end of the clamp and adapted for bearing engagement with said upstanding tranverse shoulder of the tie-plate at correspondingly spaced points to prevent turning of the clamp about the fastening member.

7. A rail clamp for use with a tie-plate, comprising a resilient metal plate having bearing portions at opposite ends engageable respectively with the tie-plate and the rail flange and also having a longitudinal slot opening through one of said ends and adapted to accommodate the stem of a headed fastening member, said one end being bent back to provide the clamp with a body portion of double thickness, the upper of said thicknesses having integral shoulder means formed thereon for retaining engagement with the head of said fastening member and the lower thickness having depending integrally formed bearing means thereon for engagement with the tie-plate to prevent turning'of the clamp about said fastening member.

8. A rail clamp for use with a tie-plate, comprising a resilient metal plate having bearing portions at opposite ends engageable respectively with the tie-plate and the rail flange and also having a longitudinal slot opening through one of said ends and adapted to accommodate the stem of a headed fastening member, said clamp having upwardly deflected integral lugs thereon at opposite edges of said slot providing upstanding shoulders for retaining engagement with the head of said fastening member and also having integral downwardly deflected portions providing depending bearing elements adjacent the side edges for hearing engagement with the tie-plate at correspondingly spaced points to prevent turning of the clamp about the fastening member.

WILLIAM H. CHIDESTER. 

